Car-fender.



No. 831,454. PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

' w. A. MOPPAT.

CAR FENDER.

APPLIOATIQN FILED Nov. 7. 190a.

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No. 831,454 PATENTED' SEPT. 18, 1906. W. A. MOPFAI.

' GAR FENDER.

AEPLIOATION FILED NOV.7, 1905.

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CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed November 7,1905. Serial No. 286,245-

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER ANDREW MOFFAT, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car-fenders, the object of theinvention being to provide a fender of simple construction embodyingnovel and improved means for mounting the same upon the ends of a car,the construction of the hanging and connecting means being such as topermit the'fender to readily follow the line of the track and to bereadily detached from and applied to the car, thus enabling the car crewto quickly and conveniently shift the fender from one end of the car tothe other.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end of acar equipped with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view ofthe same, a portion of the platform and dash of the car being brokenaway to show the hanger connections. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portionof one of the cartruck frames, showing the fender connections appliedthereto. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the hanger piece orshoe.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1represents one of the end portions of the body of a car provided uponits front sill or bumper-head with a strengthening and wear plate 2,having its upper edge projecting above the sill to form a rim-flange 3,and 4 represents the adjacent truck-frame of the car.

The fender 5 may be of any preferred general construction, but, asshown, comprises a series of longitudinal parallel strips or slats 6,connected by front, rear, and intermediate transverse bars or slats 7,8, 9, and 10, respectively, thefront slat 7 being preferably constructedor covered toform a cushioningtip for the forward .end of the fender.The fender is preferably longitudinally curved and is provided at itsupper rear end adja cent to the upper cross piece or bar 8 with a hangerpiece or shoe 11, comprising a T- shaped piece of metal having its heador cross portion suitably secured to the fender and its web projectingrearwardly therefrom to engage and rest upon the rim-flange of the plate2 to support or hang the fender and hold the same from undue verticalplay or oscillation from the movements of the car. The fender is alsoadjustably hung from the end of the car by hanger cords or cables 12 and13, arranged in divergent relation and attached at their outer free endsto eyebolts or other suitable connections 14, applied to the ends of thetransverse intermediate slat 9, the inner and upper ends of said cordsor cables being connected with a coupling member 15, to which is alsoattached an adjusting cord or cable 16, passing over a guidepulley 17,arranged in a slot or passage in the dash 18 and adapted to be wound atits free end upon a drum or spool 19, carried by a windingshaft 20,suitably journaled and supported upon the end platform of the car. Theshaft 20 is provided at its upper end with a suitable operating-handle21 and at its lower end with a ratchet-wheel 22, adapted to be engagedby a pawl 23 to hold the shaft against retrograde rotation. These hangercords or cables support the forward portion of the fender and permit thesame to be readily and conveniently adjusted to vary the position of theforward end or tip of the fender above the surface of the trackway.

The upper intermediate transverse bar or slat 10 of the fender isprovided with terminal eyes or loops 24, adapted to be engaged by hooks25 upon the forward end of staychains 26, said chains being provided attheir rear end with similar hooks 27 to engage eyebrackets 28, securedto the opposite sides of the front portion of the truck-frame 4. Thesechains maintain the fender in applied position and hold the same fromundue lateral play or movement, while permitting it to adjust itself tothe position of the car body and truck to follow the line or lead of therail, the shoe 11 sliding on the rim-flange 3 of the plate 2 during suchmovements. The chains are detachably secured to the fender andtruck-frame, so that'they may be coriveniently disconnected from one orthe other'in detaching the fender for transportation from one end to theother of the car, the chains when detached from the fender being securedwhile out of use in any suitable manner to the truck-frame. In the eventthat the chains are to be detached from the fender it Will of course beunderstood that a pair of such chains will be applied upon the forwardportion of each truck-frame and that, on the contrary, if the chains areto form .a perma' nent fixture of the fender and to be detached from thetruck-frame when the fender is re- I moved a pair of chains applied toeach fender will suffice. V

Secured to the rear portion of the intermediate cross-bar 10 arebrackets 29, which are arranged: at opposite sides of the center of saidbar and'are aperturedto receive the outturned pivotal ends of asubstantially, .V shaped and longitudinally-curved brace 30, provided atits vertex portion with a depending pivot-pin 31 to engage an opening 32in a hanger or bracket plate 33, fixed to and projecting forwardly fromthe truck-frame 4 be tween the stay-chains 26. This brace sustains andsupports the fender between the hanger-shoe 11 and the point ofconnection of the hanger cords or: cables 13 therewith and throughits-pivotal connection permits the fender to have the necessary verticaland lateral pivotal movement to compensate for the movements of the car.The fender is also adapted to turn upon the pivotal ends of the braceand the shoe 11 to permit it to be adjusted by the suspending-cords 16to regulate the position of its tip or forward end. In

' practice the hanger cords or cables 12 may be detachably connectedwith the eyebolts 14 or the latter detachably connected with thetransverse slat 9 to permit of the ready disconnection of the fendertherefrom when it is desired to transfer the same from one end of thecar to'the other end thereof.

'In transferring the fender the hanger cords or cables and thestay-chains 26 are first disconnected and the brace 30 then detachedfrom the bracket 33, whereupon the shoe 11 may be moved out ofconnection with the rim-flangeB, thus allowing the fender to be aremovedfor;transferrence to the opposite end' of thecar, the mode ofhanging and connecting it for use being obvious from the foregoingdescription The pivotal connection of the brace 30 permits-it "to befolded substantially parallel with the fender when it is detached fortransfer.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode ofoperation of theimproved fender will be readily understood, and i-t will be se'enthat'a' fender of simreadily and easily pleconstruction isprovided-which is adapted to follow 'theline of the track when the caris in motion, to'be readily adjusted to regulate its height above thetrack-surface, and to be detached and applied to the ends of the car.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is [1. A fenderprovided at its upper rear end with'asupport for sliding engagement witha platform of a 'car, means for supporting the lower front fend thereoffrom a car, and

meansfor'movably'connecting it with the ad-' thereof, of a fenderprovided at its upper rear portion with a hanger engaging saidsupporting portion, hanger connections between the car and front portionof the fender, stay elements connecting the fender at opposite sideswith the adjacent truck-frame, and a brace between the fender andtruck-frame and pivotally attached thereto to permit the fender to swingvertically and the truck to swing horizontally.

3. The combination of a fender, means for slidably supporting the fenderfrom the plat form of a car to slide laterally with relation to the car,and means for connecting the fender with the car-truck to move with saidtruck to follow the line of the track.

4. The combination with a car provided with a supporting portion uponthe platform thereof, of a fender provided at its upper rear portionwith a shoe to hang upon said supporting portion, hanger connectionsbetween the car and front portion of the fender, stay elementsconnecting the fender at opposite sides with the adjacent truck-frame,and a brace connecting the fender between said stay elements with thetruck-frame.

5. The combination of a fender, a shoe at the upper rear portion of thefender for hanging the same from the platform of a car, means forsupporting the front portion of the fender from the front of the car,and stay connections between the fender and the adjacent truck-frame ofthe car. i

6. The combination with a car provided with a supporting portion uponthe platform thereof, of a fender provided with a shoe to engage andhang upon said supporting portion, means for supporting the frontportion of the fender from the platform of the car, stay-chains forconnecting the fender at opposite sides with the truck-frame of the car,and a pivoted brace connecting the fender with the truck-frame of thecar intermediate said stay-chains.

7. A fender provided at its upper rear end with a hanger to support itfrom the platform of a car, means for pivotally connecting the fenderwith the truck-frame of the car, stay elements for connecting the fenderwith the truck-frame on opposite sides of its pivotal connection, andmeans'for' adjustably securing the front portion of the fender to thecar.

8.: The combination of a fender, means for supporting the upper rear endof the fender from the platform of a car to slide transversely thereof,meansgfor supporting the lower front portion of the fender from the car,and pivotal connectiion s'b etween the fen d'er and truck to permit thefender to swing vertically and laterally, and connections between thetender and truck to adapt the fenl der to slide. laterally ortransversely as the truck swings to follow the line of the track.

9. A car provided with a supporting portion, a fender having a hangerslidably engaging said supporting portion to move transversely of thecar, means for supporting the fender at different elevations above theline of the track, and means for connecting the fender with the truck toslide laterally as the truck swings to follow the line of the rails.

10. A car provided with a supporting portion, a fender having a hangerslidably engaging said supporting portion to move transversely of thecar, a pivotal connection between the fender and car-truck to adapt thefender to swing in a vertical plane and move laterally with the truck,adjustable means for connecting the lower front portion of the fenderwith the car whereby the fender may be swung vertically on its pivotalsupports to lie at different elevations above the track, and stayconnections between the fender and truck, whereby the fender is adaptedto move with the truck to follow the line of the rails.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER ANDREW MOFFAT. Witnesses:

D. B. GRAHAM, A. L. MOON.

